Apparatus for folding cloth.



A. KAY & M. TRATTLES. APPARATUSQFOR FOLDING CLOTH.V APPLICATION FILEDNov. 27, 190e.

919,591 `Pat-,ennea- Apr@ 27, 1909.

ATTN/5 UNITED sTaTns PATENT onirica.

ALFRED KAY, OF ROCHDALE, AND MATTHEW TRATTLES, OF BRADFORD, ENGLAND.

APPARATUS FOR FOLDING CLOTH.

To all whom fit may concern:

Be it known that we, ALFRED KAY, of 1 Grandidge street, Rochdale, in thecounty of Lancaster, England, and MATTHEW TRAT- TLEs, of 3 Alban street,New Hey Road, Bradford,in the county of York, England, subjects of theKing of Great Britain and Ireland, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in and Relating to A paratus for Folding Cloth, of whichthe fol owing is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for folding cloth infolds, and has for its object the arrangement and construction of anapparatus whereby a simple and substantially parallel motion is given tothe folding blades, and the width of the folds may be regulated, asdesired, the folding blades being so mounted on their operating' arm orarms that they may be moved out of their horizontal positions in eitherdirection by means of adjustable guides and tappets, for the purpose ofplacing the cloth under adjustable clamps which are automaticallyoperated by the operating arm carrying the folding blades.

Indescribing our invention in detail, reference is madeto theaccompanying sheets of drawings, similar letters indicating similarparts, in which,

Figure 1 represents an elevation of a cloth folding machine showing ourimprovements. Fig. 2 represents a part elevation of the rising andfalling clamps. Fig. 3 represents a side elevation of one of the clamps.Fi 1 represents a detail of the folding blades and tappet hereinafterreferred to. Fig. 4 represents an elevation of a concave table showing amodified form of clamp. Figs. 5, 6, and 7, represent diagrams showingthe motion.

In carrying out our invention, the mechanism is mounted in a suitableframe A. Power is sup lied through, by preference, toothed whee s B1 andB. On the shaft C1 of the wheel B is mounted a crank or thc like O, suchcrank being provided in one end with a slot or like O2, in which worksone end of a pin C3, the other end working in a slot D1 in one end of anarm or connecting rod D, such arm being provided with a slotted end D2in which works a pin or the like E1 attached to the operating arm E onwhich are mounted the folding blades F. The arm Specicaton of LettersPatent.

Application led November 27, 1906.

Patented April 27, 1909.

Serial No. 345,414.

I E is pivoted to the frame A, toward the base of same, by means of apivot E2 working in a pivot E3.

Above the stud E1 and attached to thc blade operating arm E is mounted aroller or rollers G, and to the bearing carrying such roller or rollersis mounted a roller or tappet PI. The rollers G pass into a curved slotJ in the frame A, and the tappet II passes a little beyond or throughsuch slot, the tappet H being for the purpose of operating the risingand falling clamps K which are placed a suitable distance apart,depending on the width of the folds required. The curved slot J acts asa guide for the folding blade operating arm.

The construction of the clamps K is sub#Y stantially as follows Theclamps comprise an inner and outer portion K1 and K2, the outer portionK1 being mounted at its base ou a threaded shaft L, in such a mannerthat it may be moved toward or from the center of the machine. A stud K6attached to the portion K1 passes into a guide or slot K7 formed in themachine frame, as shown, To the lower end of the inner portion K2 whichcarries the clamp proper, and which is of the ordinary construction,when a flat table such as T (Fig. 1) is used, is mounted or pivoted oneend of a lever H1, a small amount of play being, by preference, allowedto the said pivoted end. A further pivot such as H1 passes from thelever H1 through a slot in the outer portion K1. The free end of thelever H projects toward the center of the machine in a slightly downwarddirection, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, so that when the tappet H on theblade operating arm E travels in the slot J, such tappet will press downthe lever H1 and raise the clamp K. A spring K3 connects the twoportions K1 and K2, in order that the clamp may return automatically tothe down posi tion and be held there, that is to say, 0n to the cloth.It will be understood that the portion K2 slides in the portion K1, thelatter portion, as it were, being a fixture. Should, iowever, a concaveor curved table such as T1, Fig. 4- be used, clamps of the ordinaryconstruction would not grip the cloth sulficiently, therefore the shaftKA1 on which the clamp itself is carried is provided in its bearingswith a set screw such as K5 which may be loosened, and the clamp Kinclined, the set screw being then tightened; as shown in Fig. 4. Thisconstruction is also shown in Figs. l and 2, though same is notessential when a straight table T is used.

On the outer end of the blade operating arm E are pivoted the ordinaryfolding blades F, such blades being held in the vertical position bymeans of a suitable spring or springs F1. Mounted on the upper face ofthe bracket F2 which carries the "folding blades and in the centerthereof, is a tappet or the like F3 and mounted in the frame of themachine above such blades are adjustable guides or the like M, soarranged that as the "folding blade operating arm is moved to one sideor the other, the tappet VF3 will come in contact with the guides M, andcause the said blades to be tilted, and place the cloth under one orother of the clamps K, which will now be raised. On the return stroke ofthe blade operating arm, the blades return to their upright position atthe center of the stroke, owing to the action of the spring or" springsbefore mentioned. The diagrams, Figs. 5*'7, show the central and eXtremepositions of the knives, also the course of the cloth. As the operatingarm and blades thereon travel backward and forward with a substantiallyparallel motion, the said arm E may move slightly up and down owing toits pivot working in the slot before mentioned.

The table T is operated substantially in the ordinary manner, with theexception that the construction of the machine will allow Aof a greaterrise and fall of such table, than has been usually permissible, and themethod shown, namely, chains and weights will be understood by thoseskilled in the art without further description.

Instead ofv using. a curved slot as above described, the slot may bestraight and the operating arm shorter than described, and moved in astraight line, substantially in the manner of an engin-e slide.

By constructing a cloth folding machine as before described, andsubstantially as shown in the drawings, the machine may be constructedlighter than the ordinary class of machine used for this purpose;further a perfectly horizontal motion is obtained, and the cloth isfolded evenly as regards the length of such folds further, the use ofcomplicated mechanism in the folding blade carrier, is obviated, andsuch blades need not b-e changed.

frame having a slot therein having upwardly curved ends, a vertical armhaving a slot 1n its lower end, a pin on the frame engaging with saidslot, a roller on the arm engaging with the curved slot in the frame,means for oscillating the arm whereby the curved slot and roller willcause the upper end of said arm to move in a horizontal plane, foldingblades pivoted on the upper end of the arm,

a tappet on the blades and guides engaging Y with the tappet to tilt theblades.

3. A cloth folding machine comprising a frame, an arm pivot'ed at itslower end to the frame so as to have longitudinal movement, foldingblades pivoted on the upper end of the arm, a roller on the arm, saidframe having a slot therein having upwardly curved ends in which theroller engages, means for oscillating the arm whereby the curved slotand roller will cause the upper end of the arm to move in ahorizontalplane, clamp mechanism, a curved lever for actua-ting theclamp mechanism, said lever projecting into proximity to the curved endof the slot, and a tapp et on the operating arm projecting into saidcurved slot and adapted to contact with the lever to cause the same tooperate the clam mechanism.

4. Lln a cloth folding machine a .clam-p mechanism comprising astationary part K1, a part K2 sliding therein, a clamp K carried by saidpart K2, a spring connecting the part K2 with the part K1 and holdingsaid part K2' in its lower position, a leverv pivote-d on the stationarypart K1 and connected tothe movable partvK2, and means contacting withsaid lever for raising said movable p-art.

In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands in the resence of twoywitnesses.

A FRED KAY. MATTHEW TRATTLES. lVitnesses Lnwrs l/VAUGH, Josnrn T. KIRBY.

